The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with a general introduction to: (1) the growth of the charter school movement in Ohio since 1998;(2) the reaction of some who oppose this expansion in school choice; and (3) legal and political challenges that need to be met to ensure the sustainability and educational success of the charter school movement in Dayton and across Ohio in future years. Charter schools in Ohio were not set up to destroy public education but, rather, to create new forms of it for youngsters poorly served by traditional forms. They were opened to: (1) provide immediate relief to children trapped in persistently failing schools: and (2) to spur districts, through competition, to effective and sustained academic reform. Charter schools are succeeding on both fronts. Parents are choosing them, and there is little doubt that the various reform efforts underway in Ohio?s largest districts have been triggered, at least in part, by the competitive pressures exerted by charter schools. No doubt charter schools still have a long way to go, especially on the academic side, but it is impressive that students in some of these schools already outperform academically the students in the district schools from which they came. This is especially impressive considering they do it at about two-thirds of the cost. Finally, as the numbers above show, charter schools are popular with parents and deserve more support from powerful friends than they have thus far received. Contains 8 full color graphics and tables to illustrate and compare statistical information collected for this report.